Top Cow is publishing an anthology, Soldier Stories, which is written by military veterans and based on some of their real-life experiences.
Soldier Stories features four tales of military conflict by veterans who served in conflicts ranging from the Vietnam War era to Afghanistan. Their accounts, based on real-life experiences, have been reimagined in a variety of genres, including science-fiction and horror.
"These stories will allow readers to step briefly into the boots of men and women who bravely served, to witness heightened versions of the sacrifices that they made during their time in the military," the publisher's description of the anthology reads. "What's it like to wait out a chemical attack? How does it feel to abandon your allies? In a world of push-button warfare, has killing gotten too easy? How do you go on when the war is over but the struggle is not? These are personal stories, compelling stories, stories that will haunt and surprise you. Because every soldier has a story."
Veterans lending their voices to the anthology include Brian Anthony, a former Ranger and Special Forces Green Beret who wrote "Terps" with John Bivens. Jalysa Conway, who spent five years working as a Cyber Warfare Officer in the U.S. Air Force, penned "Game Over" with Annapaola Martello & K. Michael Russell. Megan Ferrell Burke, a Marine veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, wrote "All Clear" alongside Arturo Lauria & Kelly Fitzpatrick. The recollections of Rev. William J. Bellamy, who served in the Air National Guard for nearly two decades, are the inspiration for the last story in the anthology, "The Great Man." Bellamy died in 2018, but "The Great Man" is based on his experiences obtaining a press photo of Nelson Mandela in 1990, and adapted by Cecilia Lo Valvo & Ryan Cody.
Soldier Stories came about thanks to Ken Pisani, the author of the novel AMP'D, who approached Top Cow President Matt Hawkins with the idea of compiling a one-shot of veteran stories. "As a longtime member of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) West, it’s always been important to me to help newer and under-represented voices tell their stories," Pisani said. "Working with military veterans provided me with yet another opportunity to do so, and I was lucky to find these talented veterans with stories to tell -- turning their experiences into entertaining genre tales that both entertain and enlighten.”
Soldier Stories goes on sale Nov. 9 from Top Cow Publications and features two covers by Billy Tucci and Marc Silvestri.
Source: Top Cow